Reports from our parthers, Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR)

30 th June 2008

Mugabe's illegitimacy to worsen human rights situation in Zimbabwe
Restoration of Human Rights Zimbabwe notes with apprehension the illegitimate declaration of leadership by the "new head of state" and his subsequent attendance of the African Union Heads of State Summit.

The re-emergence of the mastermind behind the continued deteriorating standards of living for the people of Zimbabwe and the orchestrator of political violence after a peaceful plebiscite sounds a death knell on the nation. More blood will be spilt, more freedoms throttled and more Zimbabweans will sink to lower levels of poverty in the bid to realise "100% empowerment and total independence."

Zimbabweans have reached a stage when they feel all out of solutions as elections have ceased to make a difference, the cost of living is on an upward surge every other second and the economy is on a freefall. At this time, when Zimbabwe is between a rock and a hard place, Africa and the rest of the world should realise that a time comes when silence is betrayal. Quiet diplomacy will not feed the millions of star ving Zimbabweans who have been disadvantaged of food aid by a government dictated suspension of field operations by non-governmental organisations under the guise that food was being used as a campaign tool by the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T). Leaders the world over should embrace the mandates of their conscience, consider the lives of the millions in Zimbabwe who have stopped believing in what has become an unjust system and intervene.
ROHR-Zimbabwe calls for the refusal by the African Union, SADC and the rest of the international community to recognise the outcome of the recent sham and to isolate the winner of the one man race run on June 27. We recommend that Africa come together and impose travel bans on the proclaimed winner of the facade of an election run on 27 June as a means of illegitimating his self imposed authority.

 At the heart of ROHR-Zimbabwe is the respect of every person's fundamental rights, which have so been neglected in the last eight years as a raging war has been waged by the government on its own people. Peace justice and freedom must soon be deposited on the shore of every Zimbabwean's life.
As Martin Luther King Junior once said, when the issues at hand seem as perplexed as they do in the case of this dreadful conflict, we are always on the verge of being mesmerized by uncertainty; but we must move on

22 nd June 2008

ZIMBABWEANS CRY OUT IN AGONY AS ZANU PF CELEBRATES VICTORY

ROHR ZIMBABWE PRAYER MEETING 22 JUNE 2008

Over 300 people on Sunday 22 June converged at the Grace Ablaze Ministries International church to join Restoration of Human Rights (ROHR) Zimbabwe in commemorating the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Zimbabwe has suffered an orgy of state sponsored and engineered violence since March 29 in a retributive campaign to cow people into voting for Robert Mugabe.

Bishop Magaya of Christian Alliance, who gave the main sermon, castigated the continuing politically motivated violence which has has left the spirits of Zimbabweans in their lowest point. He emphasised the need for peace in the country and encouraged the families that have been displaced, the people who have been beaten and the families of those who have died to continue believing God for an end to all their pain and suffering as He is the only one with power over the life and death of men.

Two victims of politically motivated violence gave testimonials of the twist in their lives since after elections. Pastor Mhike, who was a Zimbabwe Election Support Network observer during the harmonised elections in Guruve North, South and Central said that his wife had been abducted on two occasions as he was not at home when the war veterans had arrived. They had to flee the area because the war veterans were threatening to kill the pastor. Another victim, Mr Mhizha, watched his brother and sister in law get killed by war veterans and was unable to mourn them as the war veterans threatened to kill him if he remained in the area.

According to a statement made by MDC on Sunday 22 June 2007 , the violence has seen the death of over 86 MDC supporters, over 200 000 internally displaced, over 20 000 homes destroyed and over 10 000 injured and maimed and the displacement of over 3000 others.

United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture is commemorated every year on June 26, as the day the United Nations Convention on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 1997. Over 103 countries have so far ratified the convention, but Zimbabwe is not one of them.

 ROHR Zimbabwe pledged 30 blankets and groceries for the victims of violence who were present at the event.